Heart of Darkness discussion

[Gomess]

Meh, I just didn't notice. Maybe it is something to do with UK distribution, or just the fact I was more into other things, but TF just wasn't on my radar. My favourite thing at the moment is the Japanese G1 stuff, and the '87-'89 toys (I've always had a stupid soft spot for Pretenders, awful as they are).

ANYWAY, Heart of Darkness. =p

[Dominic]

Joking aside, am I the only one who was really excited to have Abnett and Lanning on "Transformers"?

Discounting Alan Dean Foster on the first two sets of movie novels, and Peter David on the upcoming novels, (both being unique cases), this is the first time "Transformers" has had an A-list writer.

Discounting art on a few scattered coversf (Lee, Seinkewhatever, Byrne) and some control art in the Marvel sourcebook (Trimpe), this is arguably the first time an A-lister has worked on the comics. (A credible arguement could be made for Dixon being an A-list writer. But, as good as his workman's reputation is, he does not have Abnett's cred.)


Thoughts?

[Onslaught Six]

Joking aside, am I the only one who was really excited to have Abnett and Lanning on "Transformers"?

Given how little excitement anyone else has expressed in it, I'd say yeah. I've never heard of the guy.

[Dominic]

What about just the idea of the franchise have A-list talent working on it?

[Shockwave]

What about just the idea of the franchise have A-list talent working on it?

Given the quality of the story we're getting and have gotten so far I would say that counts for zero. Course, coming from me that doesn't really say much since you all know my feelings on writers and artists.

[Dominic]

I am not saying that Abnett's showing has been great. But, the fact that "Transformers" has a bad comic written by an A-lister is a milestone.

Dom

[Shockwave]

Yeah but that's like saying it's cool that Steven Spielburg is producing the Transformers movies. Just because he's an A-lister in Hollywood doesn't mean that what he's produced is quality. Ipso facto, A-list status counts for nothing.

[Onslaught Six]

Yeah but that's like saying it's cool that Steven Spielburg is producing the Transformers movies. Just because he's an A-lister in Hollywood doesn't mean that what he's produced is quality. Ipso facto, A-list status counts for nothing.

To be fair, Spielburg's involvement in the movies has been, from everything I've read, fronting the money and saying "This movie is about a boy and his car!" (And to be fair, those were the best parts of TF1.)

What about just the idea of the franchise have A-list talent working on it?

I haven't heard of him, ever, so I hardly consider that "A-list." A quick run of his Wikipedia shows that he...wrote on 2000AD (cool), Death's Head 2, Punisher, War Machine, and X-Men. Those are the things I recognize most, and the highest-seen of any of those is X-Men--where any writer who isn't Claremont or (apparently) Joss Whedon is ignored forever.

And A-lister writer is someone that even a casual comics fan (read: me) knows by name. Joe Quesada is an A-lister. Bendis is an A-lister. Millar is an A-lister. Frank Miller is an A-lister. Alan Moore is an A-lister. Those are names that people even casually familiar with comics knows--just like people who are only casually familiar with movies will know "A-list" movie stars' names.

[Dominic]

Abnett writes more than comics though. The man has written 30+ novels in just over a decade. He helped build up GW. His comics work, while of greater priority than the "Mr. Men" books, is secondary. People outside of comics know Abnett. He is already recognized by book sellers as somebody who can move product.


Granted, the writer being an A-lister does not guarantee the comics will be good. But, like I said, just having an A-lister on the title is a milestone.

Dom
-Morrison also wrote "X-Men".

[Gomess]

just having an A-lister on the title is a milestone.

Diane Duane was a proven book-seller. All the kids at my school hated Webworld. All the best to Abnett, though.